Viner från argentinska Patagonien, söderns friskhet
22 flaskor från södra Argentina, från 16,50 € till 78 €Taut Pinot Noirs, straight Chardonnays and very old Malbec vines planted on a riverbank in the middle of the steppe desert: southern Argentina looks nothing like the country's Andean image. Here we head down to the 45th parallel, around a thousand kilometres south of Mendoza, under a wind that never stops.
Three provinces share this vineyard: Neuquén, Río Negro and Chubut. The wines gain natural acidity and moderate alcohol, whereas Mendoza's altitude seeks concentration. Malbec and Pinot Noir sit alongside rare whites: old-vine Sémillon, Chenin and Torrontés.
Malma - Chardonnay Family Reserve 2023
An elegant and chiseled Chardonnay from Patagonia
Malma - Chacra la Papay Pinot Noir 2024
A light, fruity and mineral Pinot Noir
Malma - Pinot Noir Family Reserve 2023
A fresh and airy Pinot Noir from Patagonia
Matias Riccitelli - Old Vine From Patagonia Sémillon 2023
A great Sémillon from Patagonia!
Matias Riccitelli - Old Vine From Patagonia Malbec 2022
Old ungrafted Malbec vines, planted in the heart of Patagonia
Matias Riccitelli - Old Vine From Patagonia Bastardo 2023
A micro-production from Riccitelli, worked on finesse and elegance.
Bodega Noemia - A Lisa Malbec 2021
A fresh and harmonious Malbec, the signature of the Patagonian terroir
Matias Riccitelli - Old Vine From Patagonia Torrontes 2024
A high-end Patagonian wine, made from old Torrontes vines
Matias Riccitelli - Old Vine From Patagonia Chenin Blanc 2024
A high-flying Patagonian wine, made from old Chenin Blanc vines
Malma - Rara Review Pinot Noir 2021
The top-of-the-range Pinot Noir from Domaine Malma, made from ungrafted vines
Malma - Malbec Universo 2019
The essential Malbec of Patagonia.
Malma - Malbec Family Reserve 2020
Malbec steeped in Patagonian terroir
Otronia - Brut Nature Rosé
A sparkling Patagonian rosé of great freshness, where the precision of Pinot Noir meets the energy of the southern climate.
Matias Riccitelli - Old Vine From Patagonia Pinot Noir 2024
Old, ungrafted Pinot Noir vines planted in the heart of Patagonia
Bodega Noemia - J. Alberto 2021
An exceptional Malbec from an old vineyard from 1955
Malma - Rara Review Pinot Noir 2021
The high-end Chardonnay, from ungrafted vines, offering all the complexity of the Patagonian terroir
Otronia - Rugiente 45 Merlot 2019
A high-latitude Patagonian Merlot, combining freshness, aromatic precision and elegance on the palate.
Otronia - Rugiente 45 Pinot Noir 2019
A high-latitude Patagonian Pinot Noir, precise and vibrant, where extreme freshness meets the elegance of the southern terroir.
Otronia - Block III & VI Chardonnay 2019
A high-latitude Patagonian Chardonnay, taut and precise, where extreme freshness meets a remarkable saline depth.
Otronia - Rugiente 45 White Blend 2019
A Patagonian white from an extreme climate, precise and vibrant, where southern freshness meets a beautiful aromatic complexity.
Otronia - Block I Pinot Noir 2019
A Patagonian Pinot Noir from a cold climate, precise and vibrant, where the freshness of the extreme south meets an elegant aromatic depth.
Neuquén, Río Negro och Chubut, tre terroirer i söder
The Patagonian vineyard is not a single block: it is a string of irrigated oases along the rivers that flow down from the Andes towards the Atlantic, separated by hundreds of kilometres of steppe. From one province to the next, the latitude changes, the season shortens and the style follows.
| Provins | Breddgrad och klimat | Druvsorter | What it means in the glass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neuquén San Patricio del Chañar | Kring 38° S, runt 270 m, mindre än 200 mm regn per år | Malbec, pinot noir, chardonnayPlanterat från 1999 | Tydlig frukt, mjuka tanniner: Malma, från 16,50 € till 59 € |
| Río Negro Alto Valle, kring General Roca | Kring 39° S, 200–400 m, lång och torr säsong vid floden | Malbec och pinot noir från gamla vinstockar, sémillon, chenin, torrontés | Fin och salt smak: Riccitelli för 58 €, Noemia från 39 € till 78 € |
| Chubut Sarmiento, på 45:e breddgraden syd | 45° S, kort säsong, risk för frost och vindbyar nästan dagligen | Pinot noir, chardonnay, merlot, aromatiska vita | Livlig syra och låg alkoholhalt: Otronia, Rugiente 45 för 33,80 €, parcellvinerna Block för 75,80 € |
| Patagonien Bred beteckning, utan angiven provins | Between 38 and 45° S, isolated oases in the middle of the steppe | Curiosities left behind by immigrants, including Trousseau, known locally as Bastardo | Ljust och pepprigt rött, serveras svalt: Riccitellis Bastardo, 58 € |
None of these provinces has its own page on our site yet: all of southern Argentina is gathered in this selection, alongside Mendoza, Luján de Cuyo and Salta in our section of Argentine wines.
Vad kylan och vinden gör med druvorna
Winemaking Patagonia comes down to five factors that act together and can be found, one by one, in the glass. They explain why a Malbec from Río Negro drinks differently from a Malbec from the Valle de Uco.
| Faktorn | Vad den gör med vinstocken | What you find in the glass | Examples in our cellar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydlig breddgrad Från 38 till 45° S | Long but cool days, slow ripening, acidity retained until harvest | Måttlig alkoholhalt, rak smak, frisk röd frukt snarare än syltig frukt | Otronia Rugiente 45 Pinot Noir, 33,80 €Chubut |
| Ständig vind The westerly winds of the 45th parallel | Mindre bär, tjocka skal, lägre avkastning, luftiga och friska klasar | Djup färg, fasta tanniner, en ren känsla utan tyngd | Otronia Block I Pinot Noir, 75,80 € Parcell omgiven av vindskydd |
| Temperaturskillnad Varma dagar, kalla nätter | Aromas develop slowly; acidity is not burned off at night | Precise aromas and acidity that lasts through to the finish, even in ripe reds | Malma Rara Avis Chardonnay, 59 €Neuquén |
| Gamla vinstockar i Alto Valle Planterade i början av 1900-talet | Vinstockar ofta på egna rötter, djupa rötter, små och jämna skördar | Koncentration utan övermognad, längd och sälta i eftersmaken | Riccitelli Old Vine From Patagonia Sémillon, 58 €Río Negro |
| Bevattning från floden Kanaler från río Neuquén och río Negro | Vattnet kommer från floden, inte från himlen: vinodlaren doserar själv vattenstressen | Jämn mognad från årgång till årgång, få misslyckade år | Bodega Noemia A Lisa Malbec, 39 €Río Negro |
Several of these cuvées are only offered in lots of two or three bottles, or in cases of six: the price shown is always per bottle. Format details can be found on our delivery page.
Ett annat ansikte för argentinsk malbec
Patagonian Malbec surprises anyone who only knows Mendoza. In the Alto Valle of Río Negro, it grows on vines planted almost a century ago by families from Italy and Spain who came to grow fruit, not grapes. The resulting wine is lighter, more slender, with an acidic backbone as reminiscent of the Loire as of the Andes.
This is also the part of Argentina where Pinot Noir does best. It produces light reds to be served cool here, and forms the base of Otronia's Brut Nature Rosé, at €55, the only Patagonian sparkling wine in our cellar.
Var ska man börja
Two bottles are enough to understand the region: Malma's Chacra la Papay Pinot Noir, at €16.50, for the fruit and lightness of Neuquén, then Matias Riccitelli's Old Vine From Patagonia Sémillon, at €58, for what the old vines of Río Negro can give: a food-friendly white that ages well.
Teamet på Le Baroudeur du Vin
Det här undrar man om Patagonien
Var ligger vinområdet i argentinska Patagonien?
South of the río Colorado, about a thousand kilometres from Mendoza. Three provinces produce wine: Neuquén around San Patricio del Chañar, Río Negro in the Alto Valle near General Roca, and Chubut at Sarmiento, on the 45th parallel south. The vines are planted along the rivers, in a steppe desert where very little rain falls.
Hur skiljer sig de här vinerna från Mendozas?
The freshness does not come from the same source. In Mendoza, it is gained through altitude, sometimes above 1,500 m. In Patagonia, it comes from latitude and wind, in low-lying vineyards. The result: more moderate alcohol, finer tannins and natural acidity that needs no correction.
Smakar malbec från Patagonien likadant som på andra håll?
No. It is lighter in colour and more slender, with bright red fruit and peppery notes, where Malbec from Mendoza leans towards black fruit and velvet. The old vines of Río Negro, at Bodega Noemia or Matias Riccitelli, also bring a salinity not found further north.
Är argentinsk pinot noir värd en omväg?
Patagonia is where it expresses itself best, and it is the reason this selection exists. The Neuquén cuvées from Malma play on fruit and lightness, from €16.50. Those from Chubut, by Otronia, are tauter and more saline. See also our section on Pinot Noir.
Which whites can you find in southern Argentina?
Chardonnay dominates, from Malma's Rara Avis to Otronia's single-parcel wines. Add to that rare whites from the old vines of Río Negro: Sémillon, Chenin and a Torrontés far removed from the Salta style, dry and saline. Otronia also makes a blend of four white grape varieties, the Corte de Blancas.
What budget should you allow for a Patagonian bottle?
From €16.50 for Malma's entry-level wines to €78 for Bodega Noemia's J. Alberto. The heart of the selection lies between €25 and €58. Watch the format: several cuvées are sold in lots of two or three bottles, or in cases of six, with the price shown per bottle.
Which Patagonian estates do you offer?
Malma for Neuquén, with its Chacra la Papay, Family Reserve, Universo and Rara Avis ranges. Bodega Noemia and Matias Riccitelli for the old vines of Río Negro. Otronia for Chubut, the southernmost of them all. The producer profiles are gathered on our wine estates page.
Which dishes go with these wines, and at what temperature?
The Pinot Noirs and the Bastardo are served cool, around 14–15 °C, with poultry, grilled fish or fine charcuterie. The Malbecs need 16–17 °C and go with lamb or rare beef. The whites from Río Negro, served at 10–12 °C, stand up to shellfish and soft cheeses.
Argentinska Patagonien eller viner från Chile – hur väljer man?
Both offer freshness, but not the same kind. Chile owes it to the Pacific Ocean and its coastal valleys, with plenty of Cabernet and Carmenère. Patagonia owes it to cold and wind, with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and old-vine Malbec. Discover them side by side in our wines from around the world.